Patients' Perception of Climate Change and Healthcare - a Cross-section Cohort Study in a Single Institution in Canada

Climate change is a threat to human health which in turn increases burden on our healthcare system. Healthcare is also a very polluted industry which has a huge contribution to climate change. It is important to take action and the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) has put out a warning of 'Code Red for Humanity' urging immediate action from all of humanity to combat climate change. This is important because if no action is taken, irreversible damage might result on our planet which will become a challenge in terms of living conditions, food source, and health.

Therefore, this study aims to investigate the patients' perception of the negative impact of the healthcare industry on climate change, their attitude of climate change and their health, and their view of seeing a change in the healthcare system to reduce climate change. This will produce data on the knowledge gap in our patients and thereby empower them to request and target our education for patients, and in turn encourage the healthcare system to reflect on their environmental sustainable practices.